1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator having an apparatus for preventing an air from flowing into the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A refrigerator is an apparatus for freshly storing foodstuffs in a lower temperature state. Generally, the refrigerator has a compressor for circulating a refrigerant gas by a compression, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant gas so as to make a liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator for evaporating the liquefied refrigerant gas so as to generate a cooled air. The refrigerator is divided into a refrigerating chamber for storing the items to be stored at a lower temperature such as subsidiary articles and a freezing chamber for storing the items to be frozen such as meats. The cooled air generated by the evaporator flows into the refrigerator and freezing chamber by a blower.
While the refrigerator door is opened and closed, the air flows into the refrigerator so that the inner temperature of the refrigerator is decreased. Accordingly, the apparatus is provided for preventing the air from flowing into the refrigerator.
The apparatus for preventing the air from flowing into the refrigerator is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,391 (issued to Jae W. Rhee).
FIG. 1 illustrates the refrigerator having an apparatus 130 for preventing the air from flowing into the refrigerator. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 has a body 110, freezing and refrigerating chambers 150 and 160 divided by a compartment 140 in the body 110, a door 120 for opening/closing an opening 115 formed at a front side of the body 110, and the apparatus 130 for preventing the air from flowing into the refrigerator 100.
Additionally, the apparatus 130 for preventing the air from flowing into the refrigerator has a blower 132 for blowing the cooled air, a jetting port 136 connected to the blower 132 by a blowing conduit 134 for jetting the cooled air in an upper direction thereof, a sucking port 133 connected to the blower 132 by a conduit 139 for sucking the cooled air jetted from the sucking port 136, and first and second switches 170 and 180 connected to the blower 132 for driving the blower 132 while the door 120 is being opened. The blower 132 is mounted at an inner-lower portion of the body 110 of the refrigerator 100, and supplies the cooled air to the jetting port 136 through the blowing conduit 134. The jetting port 136 has a semicircular shape and is formed at a lower portion of the opening 115 of the refrigerator 100, and is formed at one side thereof with a jetting nozzle 135.
The jetting port 136 upwardly jetties the cooled air supplied thereto through the blowing conduit 134 for forming an air curtain 190 at the opening 115 of the refrigerator 100.
The sucking port 133 has a semicircular shape, and is formed at one side thereof with a sucking nozzle 137. The cooled air sucked through the sucking nozzle 137 returns to the blower 132 through the conduit 139.
The first switch 170 is attached at an inner side of the refrigerator door 120 and is connected to the blower 132 by an electric wire 174. When the user grips a handle 172 of the refrigerator door 120, the first switch is "On", and when the user releases the handle of the refrigerator door 120, the first switch is "Off". Accordingly, when the user grips the handle 172 of the refrigerator 100, the blower 132 is operated. And, when the user releases the handle 172 of the refrigerator 100, the operation of the blower 132 is stopped.
The second switch 180 is attached to a right side of the opening 115 of the refrigerator 100, and is connected to the blower 132 by the electric wire 176. When the user grips a handle 172 of the refrigerator door 120, the second switch is "On", and when the user releases the handle of the refrigerator door 120, the second switch is "Off". Accordingly, when the user grips the handle 172 of the refrigerator 100, the blower 132 is operated. And, when the user releases the handle 172 of the refrigerator 100, the operation of the blower 132 is stopped.
When the user grips the handle 172 of the door 120 for opening the refrigerator door 120, the first switch is "On" and the blower begins to operate. The cooled air begins to be supplied to the jetting port 136 through the blowing conduit 134 by the operation of the blower 132, the cooled air beins to be sucked into the sucking port 133.
When the refrigerator door 120 is opened, the cooled air is rapidly jetted in the upward direction through the jetting nozzle of the jetting port 135, and the cooled air is sucked into the suction port 133. Accordingly, the air curtain 190 is formed at the opening of the refrigerator 100, and the air is prevented from flowing into the refrigerator 100. T he cooled air returns to the blower 132 through the sucking port 133. When the refrigerator door 120 is opened, the second switch 180 is "On". Accordingly, even when the user releases the handle 170 of the refrigerator door 120, the blower is continuously operated.
When the refrigerator door 120 is closed and the user grips the handle 172, the first switch 170 is "On" again and the blower 132 is continuously operated so that the air curtain is continuously formed.
When the user finally releases the handle 172 of the refrigerator door 120, the first switch is "Off" so that the air curtain is removed.
However, since the structure of the apparatus is complicated, it takes a long time to assemble the apparatus, so the manufacturing cost thereof is increased.